On a trip to Argentina, Blake Myscoie saw young children without shoes and wanted to help them. So he founded TOMS Shoes based on the One for One principle: With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need.

Three years later, the successful company has given over 150,000 new shoes to children in Ethiopia, South Africa, Argentina and United States.

What We Like About This Idea:

TOMS Shoes is a great example of philanthropy and commercial products working together. Without compromising on ethics (the shoes are made in factories that follow a strict human rights code of conduct) or quality (the shoes are durable and eco-friendly), Blake sells a product that is exciting to customers who look stylish while helping a cause. And the fact that TOMS Shoes has been running successfully for three years means the One for One model is sustainable.

This is just one creative idea running on the One for One principle. Would this model work within your organization’s fundraising strategies? The system has already been profitably tested, so why not tie in an appropriate product that fits with your organizations mission and establish an exciting new fundraising program?

Here’s how you might start:

1)     Think about what the people you serve need in a large quantity.  (Shoes, CDs, cell phones, water, medicine, etc.)

2)    Who makes that?  (Look especially for organizations trying to enter a new market or launch a product.)

3)    How can giving one product to your organization for every product sold help increase sales?

We think it will probably be smaller start-ups that find a partnership with your organization appealing, or a product from a bigger firm that needs a re-launch.  The opportunities are many; see them, use them.